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BIOGRAPHY

Meet the “KING” of Goal Attainment.

Dr. Imogene M. King, EdD, MSN, RN, FAAN

She dreamed of being a Teacher. However, to escape her life in small town she accepted her Uncle’s offer to study nursing. Where she never thought, would lead her to become one of the Pioneers and most sought Nurse Theorist.

She wasborn in West Point, Lowa on January 30, 1923, youngest of three children.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

1945- received Nursing Diploma from St. John’s Hospital of Nursing St. Louis, Missouri

1948- BS Nursing & Education with minors in Philosophy and Chemistry from St. John’s Hospital of Nursing St. Louis, Missouri

1957- Master of Science Nursing from St. John’s University

1961- Doctorate in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University

1980- Honorary Ph.D from Southern Illinois University

Postdoctoral study in research design, statistics and computer.

WORK EXPERIENCES

Administrator Director of the Ohio State University, School of Nursing (1968-1972).

Educator at St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing; Loyola University, and University of South Florida (1961-1980). Where she was involved in efforts to change the curriculum from a medical model to a nursing model.

Practitioner as Adult Medical – Surgical Nurse.

Assistant Chief at the Research Grants Branch, Division of Nursing, Department of Health and Welfare. Washington, D.C. (1966-1968)

Was honored as Professor Emeritus at University of South Florida in 1990.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Founder of King International Nursing Group (1998)

Jessie M. Scott Award ( ANA Convention) (1996)

Øwhich is presented to a registered nurse whose accomplishments in practice, education or research demonstrate the interdependence of those fields and their significance in improving nursing and health care.

was inducted in the American Nurses Association's Hall of Fame and the Florida Nurses Association Hall of Fame,

In 2005, she was given a title a “Living Legend” by the American Academy of Nursing.

Publications:

Toward a Theory for Nursing: General Concepts of Human Behavior.

A Theory for Nursing: Systems, Concepts, Process.

HER STORY HOW SHE CAME UP WITH THE THEORY:

She was challenged by her Philosophy Professor with a question

“Have you or any other nurses have defined the “Nursing Act”?”

She pursue to answer the question, and reading courses led her to the Literature Systems analysis and General Systems Theory and hence to another set of questions. With the thought of:

What is the goal of nursing?

What are the functions of the nurses?

How can nurses continue to expand their knowledge to provide quality care?

THESE QUESTIONS LED HER TO…. “THEORY OF GOAL ATTAINMENT”

Despite King’s many awards and honors, she considered teaching students to be her most important accomplishment. Over the years, she enjoyed watching her nursing students become expert practitioners, teachers and researchers. “That is the biggest honor of all,” King said. (Houser & Player, 2007, p. 130)